It's a Date
by BattleshipTorres
Summary: A simple skating accident brings 15 year old Sofia Torres into Seattle Grace Mercy West's emergency room. What happens after? Read on to find out. (Prompted one-shot that I've decided to expand on) This is an AU that plays along canon lines.
1. Chapter 1

Prompt: A 15 yo Sofia got injured while she was skating but when she is under medical care, she refuses to tell her name (because she scared that Callie who's working in the hospital as a nurse or whatever, would find out and ground her) and somehow she bonds with her doctor (Arizona).

Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…

AN: This was prompted a couple weeks ago. Sorry for the wait. Here's a fun little one-shot for ya'll. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"I'm fine. Really! I don't need to go to the hospital. It's just a bump!" Sofia tried to sit up, but the swaying of a speeding ambulance didn't help her overcome the wave of nausea that hit her.

The paramedic pushed her charge back down onto the gurney. "And your arm?"

Sofia attempted to move flex her left arm. Her wrist moved barely an inch before a groan of pain ripped from her throat. "Just uh… a sprain. Please, I'm ok. Really. I don't want to go to the hospital. It doesn't hurt that bad."

"You're a terrible liar, and you're going. Just lay back and relax, honey. We're almost there."

The teenager closed her eyes and braced herself for the storm to come. "I am so dead."

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><p>The pit was quieter than most Saturday afternoons go, but Arizona Robbins wasn't complaining. It allowed her a few moments of peace. She could count on one hand the number of nice days she'd seen in the two months she'd been in Seattle. Not that it mattered all that much anyways; most of her time had been spent within the walls of Seattle Grace Mercy West. There was always something entertaining happening if you eavesdropped on the right nurses.<p>

The sun was high in the sky, and Arizona could feel it's warmth against her face. She stood in the empty ambulance bay with her head tipped back. The warm cup of coffee in her hand went forgotten as the tired Attending started to drift away. It was peaceful, and quiet. Inside the hospital there was noise, but outside was only the howl of the wind and the soft lapping of an ocean off in the distance.

"Dr. Robbins?"

Her head snapped back down, and Arizona's peace was over. "Yes?"

"There's a bus about a minute out. Dr. Stark said you'd cover it."

Arizona suppressed the snarl at her boss's name. "No problem. Thanks, Jen." She spent the minute wait by downing the rest of her coffee. And when the bus rolled to a stop just outside the ER door, Dr. Robbins was ready for action. "What we got?"

The paramedic hops from the ambulance. "Teenaged female with fractured left arm and possible brain injury. Witnesses said she fell at the skate park, but patient remains uncooperative."

"I don't want to be here," growled Sofia. "You can't do this to me. I have my rights."

"What's your name, sweetie?" Arizona asked while wheeling her new patient through the sliding ER doors.

"I've asked her ten times. So far it's been Rachel, Sara, Julia, Rolando, and… _Beyoncé_." The EMT didn't even try to keep her irritation out of her tone.

"Beyoncé, huh? What do you know, we got a celebrity in our midst. You know what celebrities get? Their very own private room." Arizona smiled at the blush of embarrassment that raced across her patient's face. "Right this way, Ms. Knowles. Trauma room 3 has been reserved specially for you."

Sofia continued to scowl and grumble as she was rolled into the room and transferred from the gurney. Again she was asked what her name was, and that time she didn't say anything at all. It was time for a new tact. Passive resistance. If the doctors were going to work on her, she wasn't going to make it easy for them.

Arizona checked her patient's vitals and found them stable. "Alright, Beyoncé, if you would be so kind as to follow the light." Brown eyes remained frozen when shone with the doctor's pen light. Arizona tried again, and again her charge remained stubborn. "Alright, young lady, I'm ordering an X-ray for your arm, and a CT. I doubt it's more than a bump on the head and a very mild concussion, but I just want to be sure." She scribbled some notes down onto a chart and handed it off to the intern hovering nearby. "Go call and see how quickly we can get her in." Once the resident was gone, and Arizona excused the nurse still lingering about, she rolled a chair up beside the bed and sat. "Ok, it's time for you to talk now. What's your name?"

Silence.

"Ok… How did this happen?"

"I fell," Sofia said through pursed lips. Her gaze drifted over to meet icy blue eyes, and then quickly looked away.

"You know, I treat a lot of kids. Some a lot younger than you, some older. And the ones who hide their names are the ones who are hiding from something else. …Did someone do this to you?" That caught her patient's attention, and those brown eyes locked onto Arizona's. "You can tell me, sweetie. You're safe with me but I need you to tell me the truth. Did someone-"

"No!" yelped Sofia. "You're asking me if I'm being beaten?! No! It was an accident."

"I'm sure it was, but you have to tell me who did it so they can't do it again. Ok?"

"Oh my god." Sofia used her one good arm to cover her face. "Why won't you listen to me? It was an accident, ok? I'm not being abused, lady. I don't even have a Dad."

"Then why won't you tell me the truth?" asked Arizona.

"Because I wasn't even supposed to be at the skate park, let alone on a skateboard that I don't know how to ride. And when my mom finds out she will _actually_ beat me."

Arizona studied the girl for a beat, and found no traces of a lie. "What's your name?"

"Esmerelda."

An exasperated huff slipped from between Arizona's lips before she could control it. "Look, since you're underage I'm required by law to treat you. And I'm also required by law to keep you until your parents- _parent_ can be notified. That's the way it is. So you can either tell me your name, and how to get a hold of your mother, or I can go outside and call the Police. …As well as family services. Now you tell me, would your mother want a call from you? Or from Child Protective Services?"

Awkward silence filled in the room while Arizona let the girl stew.

Finally Sofia cracked. "Sofia."

"Sofia what?"

"Sof-"

"**Sofia Marie Torres.**" The voice roared with anger, and both Arizona and Sofia turned to the open doorway to find a fuming doctor in navy scrubs and white lab coat. Her sight was set on her daughter, and Arizona barely managed to roll out of the way as the mother stormed to the teenager trying to cower into the mattress. "What the hell is going on? I was up on my floor, working, when a nurse happened to tell me that she saw you down here. Care to explain why a _nurse_ had to inform me my own daughter was being treated in my hospital without my knowledge?" Callie's gaze never flinched from her daughter's. After ten seconds of silence, she said, "Now would be a good time to start talking, young lady."

"I… I…" Sofia scrambled to come up with a story, but her mother's eyes seemed to kill each lie as they begun to form on the teenager's mouth. "Penny and I, uh… We got bored staying inside so we, uh… We went for a walk down to the park. And Justin was there. And, uh… and he had his skateboard."

"Justin, and his skateboard." Callie was well aware of exactly who Justin was, and more importantly, how much her daughter liked the boy and his stupid, dangerous toy. "How many times have I told you that I didn't want you on one of those things? How many?"

"A lot," Sofia answered flatly while avoiding her mother's burning gaze.

"That's right 'a lot'. And do you know why I don't want you on those things? It's because I can't count how many stupid teenagers I treat-"

"Stupid teenagers? You're calling me stupid now?" Sofia yelled back.

"_Yes_." Callie spat back, her glare never leaving her daughter. "I'm calling you stupid because a halfway intelligent daughter of mine would have put a helmet on her head before getting on a skateboard she didn't know how to ride. And you know how I know you didn't have a helmet on? ...Answer me."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. "Dr. Robbins? CT is free now. They said I can bring her right up."

Callie stepped back while the blonde doctor and young resident readied her daughter for transport.

As Sofia was being wheeled off to the elevators, Arizona hung back to talk to her patient's mother. "I'm having a CT done just to make sure. I'm certain Sofia doesn't have anything more than a bump on the head and maybe a very minor concussion. She _did _fracture her left forearm, and after an X-ray we'll get it reduced and casted right up. Good as new."

"Good as new…" Callie grumbled to herself, a hand raking through her hair. "That girl is going to kill me."

"She doesn't seem so bad," Arizona quipped. "She's uh… she's very… willful."

A bark of laughter erupted from Callie and she smiled for the first time since she heard word of her daughter. "If that's your nice way of saying my daughter is stubborn as a mule, thank you." That smile remained on her lips. "And I just know she's going to be on that damned skateboard next week, cast and all."

Both women shared a chuckle, and Arizona couldn't seem to stop looking at the woman in front of her. "You're Dr. Torres, right? Ortho?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's me."

"Arizona Robbins. Peds, obviously," Arizona replied. The rest of the hospital swarmed around them, and Arizona found herself falling in step next to Callie. She assumed they were on their way towards the CT lab. After calling an elevator of their own, she stepped into the carriage after Callie.

Once the doors were closed, Arizona said, "I've heard a lot about you. …_A lot_."

Callie kept her eyes forward, trained on the slowly changing numbers. "Sorry to break it to you, but I'm sure any rumors you may have heard about me are probably false."

"Well, hopefully not all of them because that'd make what I'm about to do somewhat awkward. Umm…" Arizona smiled a crooked smile at Callie. "Would you like to get a drink with me? Not tonight, obviously; you have to tend to your daughter. But, maybe… Friday night? There's this cute little bar right across the street."

It took a second for Callie's mind to catch up. "Joe's." She supplied.

"Yeah, Joe's. It's close, not too fancy."

The elevator dinged, and opened up at their floor. They stepped off in unison, but Arizona didn't make an attempt to move after that. She just looked at Callie, with that cute little crooked, dimpled grin, and waited. And Callie found herself confused. It was obvious she had been out of the game a while because she couldn't cue in on this woman. Was this just a friendly 'coworker hanging out with coworker for a friendly drink', or was it something else?

"Uh, yeah. I'd, uh- I'd like that." Callie's voice didn't come as smoothly as she would have liked.

"Awesome." Arizona smiled. "It's a date then."

Any doubt Callie had was gone with the flirty wink of a blue eye.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…

AN: There was an overwhelming wish that I continue this one-shot, and I can't say no to my awesome readers. I don't know how long this fic will turn out to be. It's not gonna be a huge one, but I think I can give this story a good ride. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Sofia? Come on, hurry up, mija. Your ride's gonna be here any minute!" Callie called up the stairs while affixing a silver loop in her ear. With the second in place, and still no word from her daughter, she called again. "Sofia?!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the fifteen year old scoffed. Her feet were heavy down the stairs, as always when it came to school mornings.

Callie gave her Sofia a quick appraisal. "Is that shirt long enough?"

"Yes," Sofia answered sharply.

"Really?"

"Mom."

"Lift up your arms." The mother met the girl's glare. "Come on, up." With a sigh, Sofia lifted her arms above her head, pulling the shirt up and exposing a two inch strip of skin. "Go change," Callie said flatly.

"Mom! Come on!"

"The last thing you need is to be written up again, Sofia. I know it's a stupid rule, but it's a rule. Go change." Callie pointed back up the stairs, and Sofia turned on her heel with a long drawn out sigh. "While you're up there, try rolling those eyes back to the forward position, Miss Thing," Callie called after her daughter.

After a quick wardrobe change, and a passed inspection, Callie finished packing her briefcase while the teenager scarfed a quick breakfast of half toasted Eggos.

"Alright, now remember I have a thing tonight," Callie said, "and I won't be home until late, so you know the drill. Home directly after school and you start your homework. Grounded means no TV, no computer games, no talking on the phone. I've asked Mrs. O'Malley next door to pop in and check on you and-" at her daughter's second scoff of the morning, Callie asked, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"I'm not five, Mom. I don't need the old lady next door to babysit me. I can handle one night on my own- God!"

"Like you could handle a Saturday alone?" The mother asked pointedly. "Tell me, Sofia, how did that turn out? Oh, yeah… you wound up in the back of an ambulance with a broken arm and a concussion." That the girl couldn't dispute. The evidence was still wrapped around her left wrist… and itching like crazy. "I'll start treating you like the fifteen year old you are when you actually start acting like one. Until then, Mrs. O'Malley will be making sure you're staying out of trouble while I'm at work. …Plus she said she'd make you her lasagna that you like so much for dinner."

A honking from outside filtered into the house, alerting the women that Sofia's ride was there. The girl shoved the last half of an Eggo in her mouth and made her way towards the front door, Callie with her briefcase and coffee mug behind her.

"Lastly," Callie said, holding Sofia up from darting to her waiting friend's car, "you will _not_ embarrass me by being rude to Mrs. O'Malley. You hear me, Sofia?" When her daughter just nodded her head, Callie said, "Answer me, young lady. You got yourself into this, and you're not going to take it out on Mrs. O'Malley. You will be polite, and happy to see her. You will thank her for making you dinner, and you will do _all_ the dishes afterwards. Am I understood?"

Sofia finally met her mother's gaze. "Yes, Mom. I understand."

"Thank you," Callie smiled. Finally released, Sofia turned and started for the driveway until Callie cleared her throat. As her daughter turned back to her, Callie brought a finger to her cheek. "Kiss?"

Brown eyes rolled, but not in the exasperated way as earlier in the morning, and Sofia quickly kissed her mother's cheek. "Bye, Mom."

"Bye, baby." She watched her daughter slide into her best friend's car, gave both a wave, and followed the beat up Honda out of the driveway. While Sofia and her friend took the left out of the drive, towards school, Callie directed her Audi right and towards Seattle Grace Mercy West.

This Friday morning went as most mornings went. Callie downed the last of her coffee during the walk to her office, and after changing into her scrubs, the doctor grabbed a second cup of brew before heading off to rounds. While no day was like any other day, this Friday was just another day… except for the date. The date that was a mere twelve hours away. Time seemed to have dragged since Saturday, when a previously unknown blonde pediatric surgeon had saved Callie's daughter and turned around and asked Callie out as well. It all happened so fast, leaving Callie Saturday night wondering what the hell she had agreed to.

She hated dating. Hated it. And it wasn't because she hadn't had a date in years. Callie didn't like dating because she wasn't good at it. Somehow she always ended up skipping steps, moving too fast, and falling head first into a relationship that the other person didn't even know existed yet. Besides… Callie liked her life. She was a damn good surgeon, with an awesome job, and an even more awesome daughter. It had been just her and Sofia, and that's all Callie needed. Why risk messing that up?

But as Saturday night rolled into Sunday, and then into Monday and Tuesday, Callie still couldn't bring herself to cancel on Arizona. And then Wednesday night Callie started wondering what she'd wear on the date, leading to Thursday night where every article of clothing Callie possessed ended up in a pile on her bed until she had found the perfect outfit. And this morning, when she woke up, butterflies had taken up residence in Callie's belly. She was excited. …Nervous, but excited.

The sight of her future date didn't help matters. Callie was sure she had seen Arizona around the halls of Seattle Grace Mercy West before, but just didn't know it at the time. But now that Callie knew who the woman was, seeing the surgeon casually getting ready for her own surgery gave Callie pause.

Glancing up from the bench she was seated on, Arizona smiled. "Dr. Torres," the peds surgeon said smoothly.

A smile turned up Callie's lips. "Dr. Robbins." She did her best to appear nonchalant while pulling the lab coat from her body and hanging it over a hook next to the rest of the doctors' jackets. Her fingers fumbled a bit at the strings of her scrub cap, but if Arizona noticed the woman didn't say anything.

"So," Callie slid down the bench closer to Arizona once the last bystander had cleared the prep area, "we still on for tonight?"

"Absolutely," Arizona answered with her dimples on display.

"Ok. Good. I'm… I'm looking forward to it." Callie didn't chance a look at Arizona, and instead busied herself getting her scrub cap tied just right.

"Me too." Arizona took a moment to study Callie in profile, and she found herself thinking how beautiful Callie's eyelashes were. So thick, and full. Eyelashes that forced someone to stop and look Callie in the eyes. …Eyes that were suddenly looking back at hers.

Arizona's gaze snapped away. "Well, uh… surgery. Got a tiny human waiting to be fixed. Umm- I'll see you tonight."

"You will," Callie replied. Arizona parted with a smile, and as she walked away Callie added, "Have fun!" As soon as it was past her lips Callie couldn't believe she said that. "Have fun?" she grumbled to herself. "What the- 'Have fun'? Yeah, 'have fun' hacking up a little kid. Perfect, Torres. Just perfect. She probably thinks you enjoy kicking puppies too. …You never did know what to keep your mouth shut."

The rest of Callie's day went easily enough, and at 6:45 she was already changed back into her street clothes and walking out of the hospital's doors. She knew she was early, but she had already stalled the last forty five minutes, and Callie figured that a quick drink before her date arrived would help settle her nerves.

And as most nights a Joe's, the place was well attended. Attendings, residents, interns, nurses, and a plethora of other hospital staff were already drinking the stress away of another week come and gone. All the high-tops and booths seemed to be taken, so Callie took a seat at the corner of Joe's bar, and placed her purse in front of the seat around the corner.

"Hey, Cal. Haven't seen you around here lately," Joe greeted the woman. "What can I get you?"

"Uh… A red wine, please." A glass was set in front of her seconds later. "Thank you, Joe."

Her old friend smiled. "You look great," he added with a wink before serving his next patron.

With a steadying breath, Callie took a sip of her wine, and waited.

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><p>Back at the hospital Arizona glanced at her watch. It was already 7:03, and her patient's parents seemed intent on keeping the woman from her waiting date.<p>

"Mr. Myers, Mrs. Myers, I assure you that everything went as planned. The surgery was a complete success."

"Then why hasn't he woken up yet?" The concerned mother asked for what seemed like the fifth time.

"It takes a few hours for the anesthesia to work its way out of the system, and for some kids it takes longer than others. But sleep and rest are his best friends right now, along with the pain medication we have him on. He's going to be sleepy for a while, and that's exactly what needs to happen. Ok?"

She spent another five minutes easing the worries of tired parents until Arizona was finally able to hand over the child's chart to the lucky intern who was on call that evening. After quick instruction to the young doctor as to the only reasons why he should even think about paging his boss tonight, Arizona made a bee-line for her office. She changed in record time, and with a quick once over in a mirror, Arizona power walked her way out of the hospital.

Her watch read 7:22 when Arizona stepped into the relaxed bar, and she wondered if Callie would still be there. But when her gaze found the brunette sulking at the corner of the bar, Arizona let out a sigh of relief.

"Callie?" The Ortho surgeon sat up with a start. "Sorry, I know I'm late. I tried to get away but I had these parents that just wouldn't-"

"No, no worries. I understand," Callie interrupted, a smile on her face that wasn't there ten seconds ago. "Comes with the job, right? Do you, uh- Would you like a drink?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Arizona turned her smile to Joe. "White wine, please." Joe busied himself with pouring the blonde's drink. "Also, I hadn't planned on showing you this but I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm starving so I'm about to tear into a cheeseburger and a very large order of fries. Would you like to split it with me?"

"Sure," Callie smiled.

Once her meal was ordered and her drink firmly gripped in her hand, Arizona made a half turn and looked Callie full in the eye. "Hi," she said with a dimpled smile.

Callie chuckled. "Hi."

"Again, I'm sorry for being late. That's not a habit of mine, I promise."

"It's ok, really. Besides, it gave me a chance to get through my first drink. …Helped settle my nerves a bit." Callie took a sip of her second glass, which Joe refilled only a few minutes before Arizona arrived.

"And what do you have to be nervous about?" Arizona asked. "Do _I _make you nervous?"

"No. …Yes." Callie's eyes met Arizona's and the Ortho surgeon blushed. "I mean, not _you_ but… the whole first date thing in general. This is the first date I've been on in… a long time."

"Well I'm glad you made an exception for me." She raised her glass of white wine, and Callie met it with her glass of red with a soft clink.

Thankfully for Arizona's stomach, their burger arrived not long after. With half a cheeseburger each, and a small mountain of fries on a plate between them, Arizona took her first bite and groaned with pleasure.

About halfway through their meal, and Callie's nerves nearly gone completely, the Ortho surgeon wiped a napkin at the lips and said, "Ok, I got to ask. …What _have _you heard about me?"

"I'm sorry?" Arizona questioned around a mouthful of fry.

"In the elevator. …You said you had 'heard' about me. _A lot_." Callie took a sip of her wine. "So, what have you heard?"

"I thought you said that it was all lies anyways," Arizona teased back.

"Yeah. …And then you asked me out."

"And you said yes." Arizona smiled at the slight pinkining in Callie's cheeks. Chomping a French fry in half, the blonde said, "I heard that… you were an awesome surgeon. That even though you weren't the head of your department, you ran it anyways. I heard that you really went to bat for your patients. You care a lot about people, even though you haven't always gotten the same in return. And I heard that you were someone worth getting to know."

Callie dipped her eyes from the ones across from her. "See? Like I said, all lies," she played, ending the tense silence with a shared laugh.

Before they knew it, it was already nearing 9:30.

"It's getting late. I should really be heading home," Callie sighed. Their burger and fries had long been gone, and both were nursing their drinks. "Hopefully Sofia is still fully intact."

Arizona chuckled, and followed Callie as she slid off her barstool. "How's she doing? Feeling any better?"

"Oh yeah. She was fine by Monday afternoon. Like nothing even happened," Callie answered while holding the door open for her date. They stepped out into the dark Seattle night, and fell into step beside one another. "She was more pissed about the fact that she only got two days off of gym but got two weeks of being grounded."

"And two months in that cast," Arizona added.

"Oh I wish this was the first bone she's broken," Callie replied. "She's always been accident prone. The jungle gym at 3 years, her bike at 5. …She's used to being in a cast. But this time? The head thing scared me." The memory of being told that a neuro consult was being asked for her daughter swept over the mother, and that half of a burger she had felt like a brick in her stomach. "I'm not like that, normally. All angry and yelling. But… we see stuff, you know? Especially you, being in peds. I mean, parents bring their kids in for minor things all the time and… stuff happens. And that's all I could imagine. So when I saw her on that bed, talking and perfectly fine… I got angry because she scared me."

"You're a mom," Arizona said softly, drawing Callie's eyes to her own. "That's your job. Be worried about them until they're fine, and then yell at them for making you worry. …My mom was a pro."

Their walk went quicker than either cared it would have. "Well, this is me," Arizona said once they were at her sporty little Lexus.

"I'm further out," Callie replied. Silence lapsed; Callie adjusted the purse over her shoulder while Arizona looked around the deserted parking lot. Neither knew what to say because neither was really ready for their date to be over with. "I um… I had a good time tonight."

"Me too." Arizona smiled.

"So… I'll call you?" Callie chanced.

"I'll be waiting." Her smile widened until shadows fell across two dimples in the streetlight.

They exchanged a smile while Callie backed away. Arizona didn't make a move for her car, and instead watched the brunette go. And just as the blonde turned away, reaching for the handle of her car door, she heard, "Wait!"

Arizona whipped around to see Callie walking towards her again.

"I uh… I don't have your number," Callie said.

Arizona fished inside her purse and pulled out a pen. With her free hand, she reached for Callie's right and took it in her own. While the blonde was scribbling across her palm, Callie's attention was locked on the woman now not a foot away from her. So close that she could feel the warmth radiating from Arizona's body.

"There," Arizona said softly, blowing on the fresh ink to dry it. "Now I _really_ expect a call." Callie just smiled back at her, drawing Arizona's eyes down to her lips. Her fingers were still wrapped around the brunette's wrist, so with a soft tug Arizona pulled the woman closer and pressed her lips against Callie's.

It wasn't a big kiss, or long. It wasn't deep, or sexual. It was just a kiss. Their _first_ kiss. And when they parted, mere seconds later, Arizona knew she'd be kissing Callie again.

"Good night, Calliope," Arizona whispered, finally releasing Callie from her hold.

"Good night, Arizona."

With the Lexus's taillights fading away into the night, Callie continued on her walk to her car. Even in the darkness of the night, she could just make out the digits across her palm. She knew the old rule; wait three days before calling. But Callie didn't know if she'd be able to wait that long. …Maybe dating wasn't so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This is AU. I do not own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. I just manipulate them to my will. Also, any line or phrase or setting that seems remotely familiar from any other show, movie or book, also not mine. I borrow…

AN: Happy New Year, everyone! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

She was tired. Exhausted. But the day was just beginning; at least, the sun was only just coming up. For Arizona Robbins, she was already facing the tenth hour of her day, and her scheduled shift had barely begun. Getting paged at ten pm on nights off was never a good thing. It meant something bad was happening, and when it happens to sick little children it's even worse. For ten hours Arizona battled her ultimate opponent- death. The hooded figure and shining scalpel-wielding knight battled for hours, on Arizona's own turf, but in the end Death won and claimed Dr. Robbins nine year old patient as his own.

Losing never got any easier.

With the cries of the boy's parents still fresh in her ears, a pounding behind Arizona's eyes steered the woman towards the nearest coffee cart. She smiled at each passing doctor and nurse, and replied in kind when they asked how her day was going. It was just another day, after all. Which meant another morning coffee.

She was just adding an extra couple packets of sugar for the energy when another body appeared at her side.

"Good morning, Dr. Robbins," came the whiskey smooth voice.

An easy smile pulled at Arizona's lips. "Good morning, Dr. Torres."

"How are you this morning?" Callie asked with a mirrored smile. When Arizona's gaze finally found her own, Callie saw that the woman's smile hadn't reached her blue eyes.

"Can't complain too much," Arizona answered, aloof. She adverted her stare while taking a sip of her coffee, then gave Callie another cursory smile. "Well, if you'll excuse me." She made to side step the Ortho surgeon, but a hand found her forearm and pulled the blonde to the side.

"Are you ok?" Callie asked in a hushed tone.

"Why wouldn't I be?" replied Arizona.

"I don't know. You just seem…"

"Busy?" Arizona interrupted. "I am. But it was nice talking to you. Excuse me." Again Arizona tried to step around Callie, and again Callie blocked her path.

With a cursory glance around them, Callie lowered her voice. "I thought- I thought we had fun Friday night. We had drinks, and we talked. Laughed. You… you kissed me."

"I did," Arizona replied. "And then you didn't call." Blue eyes found Dr. Torres's again. "And that's ok, you know? It was one date, we had fun. At least, _I _had fun. And you said you would call me; I waited all weekend for you to call me. But you didn't call me. That's pretty much universal for 'let's just be friends'. I mean, I was kinda looking forward to a second date but- It's fine. Just because you're not interested doesn't mean we can't be polite at work, right?"

"That's not-" A group of doctors passed by the two women, and Callie cut her sentence off until they were free of earshot again. "That's not why I didn't call. I-I wanted to call."

"Then…"

"Well, you know… I didn't want to seem too- The three day thing…"

Arizona stared at Callie for a moment. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly while running tired hand through her hair. "Callie, I work over eighty hours a week. I have a ward full of sick children upstairs. I've already lost a patient this morning and I have three back to back surgeries scheduled for the rest of the day. Not only am I not interested in playing games, I don't have time. …And I kinda thought, seeing as you're a mother of a teenager, you'd be past the high school stuff too." Callie's eyes ducked to her feet, and Arizona waited until they returned to her own. "If you don't want to call me, that's fine. It won't hurt my feelings. But if you want to call me… Call me." She gave Callie one last look, and then left the woman standing at the coffee cart.

The following few hours for Callie consisted of nothing but kicking herself. She wanted to call. She really did. If she were honest, she wanted to call Arizona the night of her date and thank the blonde again for a great night out. But that would have been too much, wouldn't it? So Callie waited. She picked up her phone countless times during the course of her Saturday, but never pressed the 'send' button. Callie really was going to call Sunday night, but she ended up passed out on the living room sofa with her daughter after a night of 'The Walking Dead' episodes. By the time Callie woke up and realized she had forgotten to call, it was early morning. _This _morning. Which is why the ortho surgeon had been kneading at an ache in her neck all morning right along with kicking herself in the ass.

By lunch her ass was sore. She knew she screwed up, and she was trying to figure out how to fix it. With her tray of limp lettuce and soggy croutons, Callie found a seat in the corner of the cafeteria. And at the center of the cafeteria sat Arizona, alone with her salad and newspaper.

Finally, days after having programmed Arizona's number into her phone, Callie pressed that 'send' key and brought her phone to her ear.

From across the room Callie watched Arizona glance at her vibrating phone next to her.

"Dr. Robbins," the blonde answered the unknown number quickly.

"Hi." That's all Callie had planned out.

And from across the room, Callie saw Arizona sit up straighter. "Hi," came Arizona's reply.

"So… I'm calling."

"You are," Arizona answered with a small smile.

"A little late but… I'm hoping you'll forgive me."

"I suppose I could just this once." The tenderness of Arizona's voice made Callie's fingers tingle.

"And I'm hoping that you'll let me make it up to you."

"And how do you suppose you'll do that?"

"Well, initially I was gonna buy you a deliciously wilted and browning hospital salad. But I see you already have one." Two eyebrows rose, and Arizona's eyes darted from the salad in front of her to the tables surrounding her. Blue flicked from face to face until the blonde spied a brilliant smile topped by two warm brown eyes seated at the corner just over Arizona's left shoulder. "So how about something a little fancier. Say… dinner? And if I'm really in the dog house, I'll throw in dessert. How about Wednesday night?"

With her gaze locked with Callie's, Arizona evenly replied, "I'll check my calendar and get back to you." She saw the feigned shock drop Callie's jaw and Arizona chuckled in response. "But I'm free for lunch now." The line went dead in her hand, and soon after the empty chair beside her was taken by her new lunch date.

"Hi," said Callie.

And Arizona smiled back. "Hi."

* * *

><p>Two brown eyes rolled back in her head. God, it felt so good. Days and days of a constant itch, and she was finally scratching it. Scratching it so good a tiny whimper slipped from between her lips.<p>

"How many times have I told you not to do that?"

Sofia jumped and pulled the spoon from her cast.

"And with my good silverware?" Callie grumbled, grabbing the item from her daughter's hand and tossing it in the sink. "Gross. You could have at least used one of the crappy spoons."

"Their lips aren't as sharp," Sofia replied while tugging and futzing with the cast on her left wrist. "Why does this thing itch so much? It's driving me insane."

"Well then maybe you'll remember this the next time you decide to-"

"Oh my god, Mom, stop. You don't get to throw that in my face for everything," The exasperated fifteen year old told her mother.

And Callie returned her daughter's glare with a look of her own. "Yes I do, I'm your mother." She ran her fingers through her hair, and asked, "How do I look?"

Sofia spared a look from the open textbooks covering what is usually their kitchen table, and answered, "Fine."

"'Fine'? That's it?" The dark skinny jeans topped with a plunging red blouse took more time to pick out than Callie had thought. She was really out of practice.

"Yeah, why? What's the big deal?"

"There's no 'big deal', just… come on, I look nice, right?"

"You look fine, Mom."

Callie rolled her eyes. "You're no help, you know that?" She had already changed her top twice, but now she was second guessing the shirt she settled on. Maybe red was too bold for a second date. …But she did look good in red.

After a couple minutes of watching her mother turn here and there in front of the hallway mirror, of checking her make-up and applying just a little bit more lipstick, Sofia asked, "Tonight isn't just a work 'thing' is it?" Callie stilled. "It's a date." When her mother didn't answer straight away, Sofia added, "Friday too."

"That was a… practice date," Callie answered.

"You could have told me, you know."

The nerves that had been building towards tonight faded, and Callie took the empty seat next to her daughter. "I know, sweetie."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because… I haven't done this in a long time. And I wasn't even sure I _wanted_ it to be a date. I didn't want to make it more than it was by talking about it. …If that makes any sense to you." She brushed a stray strand of jet black hair back behind Sofia's ear, and playfully tugged at her earlobe. "If you don't want me to go tonight, I won't."

Sofia shrugged her shoulders. "Why wouldn't I want you to go? If you're not here that means I get the big TV to myself." Before she could block it, her mother placed a quick kiss against the girl's cheek.

Another few minutes of primping, and a quick shoe change, Callie gave herself one last once over.

"So?" she asked her daughter.

Sofia took her time, taking in how excited her mother seemed to be, and how her smile just seemed to pour from inside her. She smiled. "You look great, Mom."

A burst of warmth bubbled up inside Callie's chest. No one's word meant as much to her as her daughter's. "Thank you, baby." She checked the time. It was game time. "Alright, Sofia, you know the drill. Homework before anything else. And I want to see a copy of your history paper waiting for me on this table when I get home, got it?"

"That's not due for another two days!"

"Which means you'll have two days to edit and revise," Callie replied with a smile to the eyeroll coming from the other side of the room. "I've already made sure all the other windows and doors in the house are locked, so when I leave all you need to do is lock the door behind me. Mrs. O'Malley is right next door if you need anything, but you have all my numbers so if you need me, call me. I'll answer and come straight home."

Sofia sat at the table, staring at her mother in boredom while Callie laid down the ground rules. "This isn't my first night home alone, Mom. I think I'll be just fine."

"That's what you said last time and then you wound up in my ER with a concussion," Callie deadpanned.

"You're never gonna get past that, are you?"

Callie smiled. "Nope." With a kiss to Sofia's cheek she said, "Ok, I'm gone. Be good, and behave yourself." She waited for some acknowledgement from the fifteen year old, but the tiniest of nods wasn't enough to settle the mother's worries. "Sofia, promise me." She held out a pinky, and with an eye roll Sofia returned it.

"I promise," she sighed.

Callie turned her back to her world and started down the hallway towards the front door. As she left, Sofia called, "Remember, just because he buys you dinner doesn't mean you owe him anything! Be safe! And usse protection!" Callie laughed all the way out of her front door.

* * *

><p>"What do you think, Daphne?" Arizona turned in front of the mirror to get the full effect of her outfit. Her pants tight enough to highlight her assets while her piercing blue top made her eyes pop and her bust look bountiful, its' deep neckline flirty and fun. She wore her long hair loose, and brushed it until it shined in the lamplight.<p>

"You don't think it's too much, do you?" From the reflection, Arizona looked past her shoulder to find the lone fish circling its' glass bowl. "You're no help, you know that?" Looking back at herself, Arizona decided she had found a winner, and smiled in anticipation for the coming night.

* * *

><p>Laughter bounced off the small eatery's walls. Many glares were sent to the table causing the racket, but it didn't seem to faze the troublemakers. To them, they were the only ones around.<p>

"So there I am, in my underwear and my stunna shades on, busting a move, and in walks the Chief of Surgery!" Tears rolled from Arizona's eyes as she recounted a moment of her spent youth and across the table Callie was dying right along with her. "And he's like 'getting some exercise, Dr. Robbins'?" A fresh wave of laughter ripped from their bodies.

"And wha-what did you do?" Callie asked, winded and battling a stitch in her side.

"I was living in the basement of his hospital; what could I do? I invited him in for a cup of coffee!"

All around them people stared and pointed, but Callie and Arizona laughed anyways. They laughed loud, and long. Tummies hurt and eyes were wet from laughter, and the smiles on their faces never wavered for a second. It was the most Arizona had had in… too long. And she was sorry to see the check come.

Back out on the street, cheeks still sore, the two women fell into step beside one another. Fifty feet down they came upon Callie's black Audi.

"Where are you?" Callie asked.

"Oh, I walked," the blonde answered. "I live just a few blocks from here."

"Oh." There was an awkward pause. Neither was ready to call it a night, but it seemed to be time anyways. "Uh- How about I give you a lift? You know, for safety."

"Right. Safety." Arizona smirked. She was ushered into the car when Callie held the door open for her.

Seven blocks passed quicker than they thought, and before Callie could blink she was pulled up outside a concrete faced apartment building. "You live across the street from the hospital?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, I like it," Arizona answered. "It's convenient." She didn't add that the hospital and her apartment were about the only two places she ever went, besides Joe's to pick up an occasional girl to take home. All of her Seattle life was centered within a few squared city blocks.

"Well…"

"Well…" A second awkward silence surrounded them. "This was fun." Tentative fingers of Arizona's left hand reached across the center council and caressed the sensitive skin of Callie's right. They traced upwards and teased until Callie's grip on the stick shift softened and refocused on Arizona. Brown eyes glanced down to watch a fairer thumb trace over her own darker knuckles. When she looked back up, Callie was struck breathless by the intensity of the blue eyes staring back at her.

A single dimple appeared from behind Arizona's crooked smile. The air between them felt charged, as if at any moment lightening might strike. Who made the first move isn't known, it might have been Callie's tipped head, or Arizona's gentle squeeze of Callie's hand in hers, but they found themselves being pulled toward one another. Their lips met softly, almost timidly. Callie had been replaying their first kiss since the moment it ended, and now she knew that even her best memory was left wanting to the actual feel of Arizona's lips against hers.

And she wanted more.

A gentle pull at Arizona's lips brought forth a hungrier Arizona. Their lips went from touching to gliding. Caressing. Tasting. There was no urgent need, no fiery craze, just comfortable exploration. And when Arizona's hand found its' way to Callie's neck, she could feel the thrumming of a racing heart beneath Callie's glowing skin.

They parted with a sigh. Arizona's thumb traced the slickness across Callie's lower lip.

"This date was even better than Friday," Callie said thickly.

"Yeah it was," Arizona sighed. "You'll call me?"

Callie answered without hesitation. "Definitely."

"Don't make me wait three days this time." Arizona's smile was mirrored in Callie's and they shared one last laugh together. With another soft kiss, Arizona pulled away and reached for the door handle. "Lunch tomorrow?"

"We haven't missed one yet this week."

Sure that Arizona made it into her apartment building, Callie sat alone in her car for a moment. She couldn't recall the last time she had felt that warmth and energy from being around someone. It had been missing from her life so long that, as the years passed, Callie figured it wasn't meant to happen for her. And she was happy just having Sofia, but then Arizona appeared. Callie didn't know if it would turn out to be anything, let alone anything serious, but for the first time in a long time Callie knew she wanted to try.


End file.
